Deep roots
by Neville Grieger
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
‘He’ll put down deep oak tree roots’ (Hosea 14:5).
The incredible resilience and drought resistance of the mallee tree has never ceased to amaze me. Even through the harshest and most extended periods of hot dry weather, the mallee soldiers on, as if oblivious to the unfavourable environment, continuing to look fresh and green, even still able to put out new shoots.
Some months ago, I was privileged to listen to the master winemaker responsible for overseeing the continued production of one of the Barossa Valley’s (or arguably the world’s) finest red wines. He talked in detail about the importance of the soil structure and depth, which allowed the 150-year-old vines to produce high-quality fruit year in year out without any supplementary irrigation, despite the effect of climate change and decreasing annual average rainfall. He also told the story of how people often asked for the pruning cuttings to propagate from this famous vineyard in the hope of being able to reproduce similar quality fruit and wine. He was always very quick to point out to these hopeful people that they could take as many cuttings as they liked – but unless the cuttings were rooted in the deep alluvial soils of that particular corner of the Barossa, the fruit would be very ordinary at best.
What powerful imagery this is for us on our spiritual journey. If we are deeply rooted in God’s fertile soil, even in the toughest of times, we will have the strength and resilience to dodge the curve balls that life has a habit of continually serving up.
Dear Lord, thanks for deeply rooting us in your ‘Hill of Grace’ (Calvary). Help us to remain deeply entrenched in your soil, and protect us from trying to transplant ourselves and think that all will be okay in the superficially attractive alternative soil that the world has to offer. Amen.
- Click here to read previous devotions.
- We are also posting them on LCA Facebook, making it easy for you to share them with family and friends.
- Sign up to receive Daily Devotion in your inbox every morning. If you’re already doing that, please encourage others to sign up. Click here for the link.
